Newsworthy

Nigerian ambassador to Kenya, Dr Chijioke Wilcox Wigwe, is on the verge of going on an unprecedented trial in that country for assault, battery and cannibalism. On May 11, Wigwe allegedly attacked his wife, Tess Iyi.

According to diplomatic sources, Kenya Police Commissioner Mathew Itwere has formally written to the Nigerian government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asking the Nigerian government to waive the immunity of ambassador Wigwe to enable the prosecution to go ahead.

The Kenya media is awash with shocking images of deep cuts and bruises on Mrs. Wigwe’s face, neck, fingers and spine resulting from a quarrel with the ambassador

A women rights group, FIDA Kenya, has also condemned Ambassador Wigwe as being unfit fit to be Nigeria’s High Commissioner in Kenya.

Mrs. Wigwe, a lawyer who holds dual British and Nigerian citizenships, has also written to the Kenyan police asking that her husband be arrested for assaulting her, causing her serious bodily harm.

She explained that she decided to come out about her situation to show that domestic violence cuts across cultures, education and social standing. “I cannot keep quiet. I have kept quiet long enough,” Mrs. Wigwe is quoted as saying.

She also told the Nairobi Star she was rescued by her 20-year-old son and 23-year-old daughter on May 11, and rushed her, bleeding profusely, to the hospital.

She was admitted to the Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi, where she was operated on and discharged on Sunday, May 15. She also said her doctors had advised her to be careful as the injuries to her lower back might lead to paralysis.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Wigwe, who doubles as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the Seychelles and represents the country at the United Nations Environmental Programme and the UN Habitat in Nairobi, was today expected to play host to a four-day Nollywood roadshow and fair.

It is said to have been organised by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, the Nigerian Guild of Actors and the Nigerian High Commission. It will culminate in a gala dinner on Sunday night.

The Nairobi Star was told by a lawyer acting for Mrs. Wigwe that they are demanding that Wigwe’s diplomatic immunity be lifted so that he can face the law.

The couple is reported to have five children — four boys and a girl aged between 32 and 20 years, and five grandchildren.

Wife Battering: Ambassador is Sacked… Faces Prosecution

The disgraced Ambassador Chijioke Wilcox Wigwe who violently battered his wife, inflicting physical injuries on her has been reportedly sacked and stripped of his diplomatic immunity by the Nigerian government.

Dr Wigwe is currently awaiting trial after Kenya’s Inspector General of Police wrote to Nigerian government to urging it to act fast to derobe the ambassador of diplomatic immunity to pave way for his prosecution.

The minister of foreign affairs, Odein Ajumogobia is reported to have recalled the Nigerian ambassador after he has been described across the world as an international embarrassment and disgrace.

Foreign ministry spokesman, Mr. Damian Agu, said the outgoing Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia (SAN), has asked the top diplomat, who also represents Nigeria at the United Nations Environmental Programme and the UN Habitat in Nairobi, to return home.

“It is only when he is back that we can investigate him and know if the allegations were true or false,” Agu told THISDAY on telephone Monday.

Though one of the most active ambassador and until the incident a national pride, Mr. Wigwe only came to limelight in Kenya after he brutalized his wife, Tess Iyi Wigwe, leaving her with serious injuries that became a subject of investigation by the Kenyan police.

On Sunday, Wigwe denied the allegation. He expressed shock that the police had been asked to arrest him. “I am shocked about her actions. They have not notified me of any plot against me. I have just arrived from a foreign trip,” he told the Star.

A letter from lawyer Judy Thongori to Iteere dated Monday (May 23) says Tess sustained injuries on the face, neck, fingers and spine after a quarrel which resulted in the beating on May 11.

In an exclusive interview with the Star yesterday, Tess said she was rescued by her 20-year-old son and 23-year-old daughter who rushed her to hospital while bleeding profusely.

The diplomat’s wife said she was admitted to the Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi, on May 11, operated on and discharged on Sunday, May 15. “I am still living in the ambassador’s residence. I still feel a lot of pain from the injuries despite the ongoing medications,” she said, adding that she had been advised by her doctors to be careful as the injuries to her lower back might lead to paralysis.

It has been viewed from certain quarters that Tess may not have had the intention of exposing the ambassador until pressurized by her doctor who contacted the police before eventually linking her lawyer and the onward exposure to the press.

She had been reported as having explained that she decided to come out about her situation to show that domestic violence cuts across cultures, education and social standing. “I cannot keep quiet. I have kept quiet long enough,” Mrs. Wigwe was quoted as saying.

Many concerned international bodies have expressed their anger and displeasure over the ambassador’s action.

A women rights group, FIDA Kenya, condemned the Ambassador as being unfit fit to be Nigeria’s High Commissioner in Kenya. The group went further teaching Nigeria the norms of human decency and urging for an educational exercise for all officials intending to serve in Kenya.

“Considering the acts of violence as described by Mrs Wigwe in her statement and the descriptive photographs, it is quite clear that the commissioner has no respect for women and is therefore not fit to serve as a High Commissioner or in any official capacity,” the statement by FIDA Chairperson Naomi Wagereka said.

Civil groups in Nigeria have also stood in condemnation of the ambassador’s action.The Nigerian High Commission has however termed the allegations against Dr Wigwe as “malevolent, far from the truth and unsubstantiated.”

On Friday, Mrs Wagereka said that the Kenyan government had both international and constitutional obligations to provide protection against violence not only for Kenyans but also for vulnerable persons within its borders.

The women lawyers also want the Nigerian government to immediately provide protection and care to the High Commissioners wife, undertake extensive human rights and gender training for all its government officials, diplomatic officers and the general public in Nigeria.

They also demanded that the Nigerian government issue a statement declaring protection of human rights of women both in and out of Nigeria.

In its response, the Nigerian High Commission said: “While refraining from commenting on the status of the union….the High Commission would like to categorically state that Dr Wigwe does not have a history of physical violence as reported in the article and did not assault his wife as represented by the story,” the statement read in part.

It further said that the mission stood by the High Commissioner “as a man of peace and integrity until it can be proved otherwise.”

“Dr Wigwe has over 30 years of unblemished and meritorious service as an astute diplomat, a distinguished academic and a visionary leader with outstanding and impeccable career.

All we ask the public at this stage is to allow us time to ascertain the truth of the matter, before his hard-earned reputation and lifetime achievements are destroyed by these accusations,” it went on to say.

They assured the public that the High Commissioner and his office would accord the relevant authorities cooperation and assistance required to get to the bottom of the allegations.

“The allegations however, would not in any way, affect normal business at the High Commission including the planned Nollywood Road-shows to commemorate Nigeria’s Democracy Day and celebrate the formal investiture of His Excellency President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for a new term of four years,” the High Commission said.

It is not immediately clear if the Nigerian government plans to prosecute the Ambassador for assault on his wife but sources claimed that his recalled has made the government set up a high level investigative source to get the truth of the matter.

It is yet to be known if the recall will spark diplomatic exchange between Nigeria and Kenya, the East African country having built up Ambassador Wigwe’s file for criminal charge.

It is the second time in two years that prominent Nigerians had engaged in such disgraceful act which led to national and international condemnation.

A frontline traditinal ruler sparked off national and international outrage early last year following a major inflicted injury on his wife causing her a degree of physical scar.

The then Deji of Akure land , Oba Oluwadare Adesina Adepoju Osupa (111) was then deposed by the community after his action was described as appalling.

A women rights group, FIDA Kenya, condemned the Ambassador as being unfit fit to be Nigeria’s High Commissioner in Kenya. The group went further teaching Nigeria the norms of human decency and urging for an educational exercise for all officials intending to serve in Kenya.

“Considering the acts of violence as described by Mrs Wigwe in her statement and the descriptive photographs, it is quite clear that the commissioner has no respect for women and is therefore not fit to serve as a High Commissioner or in any official capacity,” the statement by FIDA Chairperson Naomi Wagereka said.

Civil groups in Nigeria have also stood in condemnation of the ambassador’s action.

The Nigerian High Commission has however termed the allegations against Dr Wigwe as “malevolent, far from the truth and unsubstantiated.”

On Friday, Mrs Wagereka said that the Kenyan government had both international and constitutional obligations to provide protection against violence not only for Kenyans but also for vulnerable persons within its borders.

The women lawyers also want the Nigerian government to immediately provide protection and care to the High Commissioners wife, undertake extensive human rights and gender training for all its government officials, diplomatic officers and the general public in Nigeria.

They also demanded that the Nigerian government issue a statement declaring protection of human rights of women both in and out of Nigeria.

In its response, the Nigerian High Commission said: “While refraining from commenting on the status of the union….the High Commission would like to categorically state that Dr Wigwe does not have a history of physical violence as reported in the article and did not assault his wife as represented by the story,” the statement read in part.

It further said that the mission stood by the High Commissioner “as a man of peace and integrity until it can be proved otherwise.”

“Dr Wigwe has over 30 years of unblemished and meritorious service as an astute diplomat, a distinguished academic and a visionary leader with outstanding and impeccable career.

All we ask the public at this stage is to allow us time to ascertain the truth of the matter, before his hard-earned reputation and lifetime achievements are destroyed by these accusations,” it went on to say.

They assured the public that the High Commissioner and his office would accord the relevant authorities cooperation and assistance required to get to the bottom of the allegations.

“The allegations however, would not in any way, affect normal business at the High Commission including the planned Nollywood Road-shows to commemorate Nigeria’s Democracy Day and celebrate the formal investiture of His Excellency President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for a new term of four years,” the High Commission said.

It is not immediately clear if the Nigerian government plans to prosecute the Ambassador for assault on his wife but sources claimed that his recalled has made the government set up a high level investigative source to get the truth of the matter.

It is yet to be known if the recall will spark diplomatic exchange between Nigeria and Kenya, the East African country having built up Ambassador Wigwe’s file for criminal charge.

It is the second time in two years that prominent Nigerians had engaged in such disgraceful act which led to national and international condemnation.

A frontline traditinal ruler sparked off national and international outrage early last year following a major inflicted injury on his wife causing her a degree of physical scar.

The then Deji of Akure land , Oba Oluwadare Adesina Adepoju Osupa (111) was then deposed by the community after his action was described as appalling.